Field of the Invention
The present disclosure relates generally to a physiotherapeutic device, and in particular to a vest to assist individuals having ambulatory and other mobility disabilities.
Background of the Related Art
Persons with Parkinson's disease and other neurodegenerative diseases often experience issues with muscle rigidity, as well as problems with their posture and balance. At later stages of Parkinson's disease 90% of patients suffer from postural instability, and many would benefit from a device that would assist them with proper support and posture, especially during daily activities.
One form of providing support and maintaining proper posture is through a brace or a vest, such as a gait vest. Some existing back braces consist of an elongated triangular configuration for the spine system, along with adjustable shoulder straps mounted onto a lightweight waist support to allegedly assist with posture by providing a compressive force to the wearer's lower waist area. Other existing brace devices use a waist cord that can be pulled about the wearer's waist to adjust tensioning of the wearer's upper back and shoulders. Some braces provide straightening forces in the mid-torso section rather than at the shoulder.
While these prior art devices provide a means to force an individual to exhibit proper posture, none provide support and proper force vector tensioning to assist a user to maintain balance and posture while performing daily activities and functions. Moreover, prior art devices fail to offer a system allowing proper range of motion due to the rigidity and awkwardness of the devices. Furthermore, such devices provide crude and unsophisticated means of correcting posture that may even cause additional harm.